The story is taken from a poetical version by Arthur Brooke of Boisteaus novel, called Rhomeo and Julietta. Boisteau borrowed the main incidents from a story by Luigi da Porto, of Vicenza (1535), entitled La Giulietta. In many respects it resembles the Ephesiaca (in ten books) of Ephesius Xenophon, whose novel recounts the loves of Habrocomas and Anthia.